The Garoupa production system installed offshore Brazil for Petrobras is now onstream. This system represents one of the most ambitious undertakings of its kind. The nine subsea wells are completed using a dry one-atmosphere chamber system supplied by Lockheed Petroleum Services (LPS). Well production flows to a Petroleum Services (LPS). Well production flows to a seabed dry manifold centre where it is controlled and manifold. Pipelines connect the MC to a mooring tower to which a converted tanker is moored for processing of crude and its temporary storage. A second mooring tower provides for tanker transport of crude to land. provides for tanker transport of crude to land. Installation of the subsea equipment is described. Flowline bundle and pipeline and start-up progress to March 1979 is described and some of the problems encountered their solution and impact on project schedule are discussed.
The Garoupa field seafloor production system installed by the Brazilian National Petroleum Company. Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. (Petrobras), is the largest and most ambitious subsea production project initiated to date. The field, which is located 250 km. east-northeast of Rio de Janeiro, and 80 km offshore, (see Fig. 1) was discovered in November 1974. Further drilling proved it to consist of two separate structures, the northern Garoupa field and the southern Namorado field. The subsea production system is installed in water depths between 120–166 m. (394–544 ft). The system (Fig. 2) consists of:
nine one-atmosphere wellhead chambers (WHC)supplied by Lockheed Petroleum Services.
a nine-well one-atmosphere manifold centre (MC)supplied by Lockheed Petroleum Services.
an electro-hydraulic control system supplied by Cameron Iron Works.
